Woman Lodges Meat Cleaver Into Husband's Skull After Stabbing Him 140 Times

A widow in Palm Springs is accused of stabbing her physically-disabled husband at least 140 times earlier this month after he filed for divorce in December, police said on Sunday.

The suspect, Joan Burke, 61, faces first-degree murder charges and was held without bail on Sunday morning in the Palm Beach County Jail over the gruesome death of 62-year-old Melvin Weller on Feb. 11, Palm Beach Post reported.

Police said that the victim’s stepson, Ricardo Green, 41, found him lying on the kitchen floor in a pool of his own blood shortly after he arrived home from work. Green immediately called 911 and told the dispatcher Weller appeared to be dead. The family subsequently informed police that Weller cannot walk and had poor grip strength.

Investigators noted that weapons, such as knives and a meat cleaver, sat in the kitchen sink. In the police report, responding officers detailed that blood was splattered and smeared across walls, kitchen cabinets, and counters, an obvious indication that a “violent struggle occurred,” according to WPTV.

When cops busted the scene, Burke was lying on the bed in the main bedroom. She was described to be "conscious and alert but remained mute" with cuts on the palms of her hands. Paramedics then took Burke to JFK Hospital for a medical evaluation, the arrest affidavit detailed.

"It is very common for the offender to have lacerations to the palm of one or both hands when he or she stabs another person," the police report explained. "This is especially true when the victim is stabbed many times, as was the case with Mr. Weller's death."

The Medical Examiner's Office later revealed that Weller received at least 140 stabs all over his body. Accordingly, he sustained a skull fracture caused by a blow from a meat cleaver to the right rear area of his head.

Meanwhile, investigators recovered a tied-up plastic bag on the kitchen countertop containing Burke's bloodstained nightgown and a cell phone, which investigators believe belonged to the victim.

According to the Palm Springs Police Department, Weller moved to end his marriage with the suspect in December 2021. What prompted his request for divorce remains unknown, the Daily Beast noted.